Net neutrality, the sacred rule of the Internet, says that no form of content is favored over any. Net neutrality is something that needs to end for big companies to succeed more. . Net neutrality crusaders want the Federal Communications Commission to nix the Google/Verizon axis. But the FCC’s hands were tied in court last April by the Comcast decision saying the FCC has no authority to enforce net neutrality.
Finding a compromise for net neutrality
Net neutrality talks have been taking place with Internet stakeholders and FCC officials. Those integrated in the category internet stakeholders are Verizon, AT and T, cable companies, the Open Internet Coalition and Google. The New York Times reports the discussions involve the FCC’s legal authority to regulate Internet service. A premium on higher bandwidth is the request of cable and telephone companies. Wireless companies want no regulation whatsoever on wireless broadband. Favoritism is wanted by content providers. The FCC Comcast decision makes it difficult for the FCC to enforce what they want which is a level playing field.
Every little thing argued by Google and Verizon
As net neutrality talks with Internet stakeholders and also the FCC dragged on, Google and Verizon eloped to make a deal. Bloomberg explains that both Google and Verizon have always been against net neutrality. Verizon wants free reign to charge more for higher speeds to make as much money as it can get away with. Google only wants regulation if it means they will do better business and not have any business taken away with it. Now, Google may have figured that the era of net neutrality is already over. Before things become a free for all, Google might be wanting to make this deal with Verizon.
There may be a corporate takeover
The internet is designed to be something free where consumers pick which companies are doing well, although some are afraid the Google-Verizon deal will change that. Save the Internet paints a nightmare scenario where Google products get priority based on commercial deals. The best browser to use would be Chrome. Google Buzz would be used more than Twitter. Competing video online websites wouldn’t do as well as YouTube. WordPress wouldn’t do also as Blogger from Google. Skype wouldn’t do also as Google’s GChat, and that’s just the start of the list.
Google/Verizon winners and losers
The Google/Verizon deal may lead to an Internet where there are winners and losers among media giants, telecom firms and Internet users, according to the Wall Street Journal. Content can be put into different streams of internet. Charges could be higher with prioritized content. The Internet service providers will wrest control of the web from the FCC. Big media corporations will squeeze out the competition that keeps them honest. Surfing the internet will never be as good after having to flip through so much junk to get what you really need.
The only reason this hasn’t happened yet is because of the courts and the FCC.
Further reading
New York Times
nytimes.com/2010/08/05/technology/05secret.html?_r=1
Bloomberg
bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-04/google-verizon-are-said-to-have-reached-deal-on-how-to-handle-web-traffic.html
Save the Internet
savetheinternet.com/blog/10/08/06/about-verizongoogle-deal-net-neutrality
Wall Street Journal
blogs.wsj.com/source/2010/08/09/winners-losers-from-the-new-net-neutrality/
